Winter wonderland, Braemar

After last Sunday's disappointing walk in Tullos Wood we went further afield today for a walk in Braemar. The recent snowfall in the highlands has created a winter wonderland and we were gifted a beautifully sunny day. The last part of the drive from Crathie to Braemar is always lovely but today the mist over… Continue reading Winter wonderland, Braemar

A night to remember at the Fife Arms Hotel, Braemar

This is going to be a long post with lots of photos so apologies in advance. We've just had a magnificent weekend in Braemar staying at the luxurious Fife Arms hotel. It's quite a contrast to our recent glamping adventures and definitely opulent but worth every penny. I've been longing to spend a night at… Continue reading A night to remember at the Fife Arms Hotel, Braemar

The Queen’s Circular walk, Braemar

Snow has returned to Scotland and today we went to Braemar in search of some fun. Braemar is always gorgeous but particularly so when there's snow on the surrounding hills and the drive through Royal Deeside is always lovely. We did the Queen's Circular Walk which is fairly level and has nice views over Braemar… Continue reading The Queen’s Circular walk, Braemar

A lost kayak and the Queen’s Drive circuit

Some kayakers lost a kayak in the River Clunie today and we watched the rescue operation. I'm amazed anyone kayaks on this part of the river because it looks way too treacherous to me. The kayak was bobbing up and down for a long time - at least half an hour. It was caught in… Continue reading A lost kayak and the Queen’s Drive circuit

The Beast from the East

We haven't been as badly affected as other parts of the country by the extreme weather. We're close to the sea which always helps to moderate the temperature but we also haven't had the huge snow drifts they've had elsewhere. No one is panic buying food and it hasn't been particularly cold. That said, we've… Continue reading The Beast from the East

First day of spring

I've never seen so much snow outside our front door before. Aberdeen is looking gorgeous this morning for the first day of spring. I flew back to Aberdeen from Nice yesterday afternoon and I'm very lucky to be here. All other airports in Scotland were closed and all BA and Flybe flights in and out… Continue reading First day of spring

Ballochie Suspension Bridge, Braemar, Glenshee, and snow

I took these photos today of the magnificent Ballochie Suspension Bridge which is just outside Braemar. It was built in 1924 and spans the River Dee. I always admire it when we drive past, not just for the bridge itself which is beautiful in its own right but also for the setting - the forests,… Continue reading Ballochie Suspension Bridge, Braemar, Glenshee, and snow

Craigendarroch, Ballater, Scotland

Today we walked up Craigendarroch which means hill of oak (craig = hill or crag/rock, and darroch = oak). It's a steep, rocky hill overlooking the village of Ballater. From the ground it doesn't look very inviting because of the rocky cliffs and indeed the women behind the reception desk in our hotel tried to… Continue reading Craigendarroch, Ballater, Scotland

My 10 minutes of radio fame and Ballater

Yesterday I had the very great pleasure of being on BBC Radio Scotland'sĀ Out For The Weekend programme, which is on Friday afternoons. They called me earlier in the week to see whether I'd be interested to come in and talk about my petition and I said unequivocally, yes! It was just a short 10-minute segment… Continue reading My 10 minutes of radio fame and Ballater

An almost frozen pond at Duthie Park

After a very mild Christmas the temperature has suddenly plunged. There were a few flakes of snow today and the pond at Duthie park is starting to freeze over. It's funny how enthralled the kids are by a bit of ice. It won't be cold enough to freeze the River Dee. I took this photo… Continue reading An almost frozen pond at Duthie Park

Snow in Aberdeen!

Yesterday there was lots of snow in Aberdeen and the Martin household was jumping with joy! It's very pretty when it snows. There was much excitement in the school playground with snowballs flying in all directions. Somehow I managed to avoid getting hit. Today was a different story. It rained on the snow yesterday afternoon… Continue reading Snow in Aberdeen!

Snow, castles, and a squirrel mug

Snow or castle? That was the question we asked ourselves yesterday when deciding what to do today. Fortuitously, we got both at Castle Fraser. The snow we had this week hasn't completely melted at Castle Fraser and we got a taste of it on our walk around the estate. Here's the family portrait. And the… Continue reading Snow, castles, and a squirrel mug